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Week 13 of Pregnancy: Week by Week Pregnancy Calendar

Welcome to the second trimester! Your baby is now the size of a peach, measuring about three (3) inches in length from crown to rump and weighing just about one (1) ounce. You are in your third month of pregnancy.

Your Baby

Utrasound of 13 Week FetusDuring week 13 of pregnancy, your baby’s body is now beginning to catch up in size with the head, which currently makes up about a third of his or her body size. The skin is still paper thin and translucent, revealing the internal organs inside. The intestines continue to move from inside the umbilical cord to neatly fold in place inside the abdomen. Some of the bones in your baby’s tiny body are also beginning to harden, specifically the bones in the arms and legs. If your baby is a girl, her ovaries now contain the approximately two million eggs that she will have for life. The external genitalia also continue to develop, although you will not be able to determine the sex of your baby visually for another few weeks.

Your baby’s hands and feet are now strikingly human. The fingerprints begin to form on the touch pads on the fingertips during week 13 of pregnancy. Your baby continues to open and close his or her little hands into fists and to curl his or her little toes. The ankles and wrists are becoming more defined. Your baby continues to suck in and swallow amniotic fluid and has also begun to suck on his or her thumbs. The vocal cords are also developing inside your baby’s throat.

Your Body

If you had been suffering from morning sickness, you will be relieved to know that most expectant mothers start to feel better by week 13 of pregnancy. However, if your stomach is still turning, take comfort in knowing that your nausea should subside within the next week or two. During week 13 of pregnancy, you may also notice that you are feeling more hungry than usual. Just keep in mind that you need only about 300 extra calories per day while pregnant; gaining too much weight too quickly can be dangerous to you and to your baby.

During week 13 of pregnancy, you may have noticed that your sex drive has increased. If, however, you are still feeling hands off, your lack of libido is completely normal two. You may also be experiencing increased vaginal secretions known as leukorrhea. This white or yellowish discharge protects your baby by keeping harmful germs washed out of the vagina. Your breasts may begin to feel less tender. You may also begin leaking colostrum, which will be baby’s first food before your breasts produce mature breast milk around three to five days postpartum. Many women, however, never leak during pregnancy and go on to successfully breastfeed their babies. You may also now be sporting an obvious baby bump, which is more the result of your enlarged uterus, which has grown out of the pelvis and into the abdomen, than of your peach-sized baby. Other symptoms during week 13 of pregnancy include lessening fatigue, food cravings and aversions, heartburn and indigestion, constipation, and dizziness.

Peaches
Baby Is the Size of a Peach
During Week 13 of Pregnancy

Learn about your baby during week 12 of pregnancy or week 14 of pregnancy.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not meant to replace the professional medical advice of your health care provider.

References

13 weeks pregnant: http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy-week-by-week/13-weeks-pregnant_70690
Curtis, Glade B. & Judith Schuler. 2011. Your pregnancy week by week. 7th edn. Philadelphia: Running Press.
Stone, Joanne & Keith Eddleman, eds. 2003. The pregnancy bible: Your complete guide to pregnancy and early parenthood. Willowdale, Ontario: Firefly Books.
Your pregnancy: 13 weeks: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-13-weeks_1102.bc
Your pregnancy week by week: Weeks 13-16: http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/your-pregnancy-week-by-week-weeks-13-16

Image Credits

Utrasound of 13 Week Fetus: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nuchal_translucency_Dr._Wolfgang_Moroder.jpg
Peaches: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Assorted_Peaches_2816px.jpg

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